Students at Corban University were welcomed back to campus on Wednesday morning with great fanfare — literally.

As students gathered in the center of campus, the quavering sounds of shofars came from the rooftops, the horn-like cries echoing one another. The traditional instrument, made from a ram's horn, has been used since Biblical times to call people to worship. But it was a first time for Corban.

On Wednesday, the shofars were calling students to assemble for the university's first-ever convocation.

"It's a very traditionally academic event," said Kellie Wood, special events planner at Corban. "A convocation is a formal academic gathering between faculty and students. It's the mirror of graduation. Our provost had this dream for many years, and this year we finally made it happen."

The convocation began with the cries of the shofars, summoning students to gather in the campus chapel. Then the air was filled with the sounds of bagpipes and drums leading the faculty in a processional onto the stage.

Sheldon Nord, president of the Christian university in southeast Salem took the podium to welcome students old and new back to Corban's campus.

"We convene this convocation to usher in a new academic year and celebrate the freshman as a new class of 2018," Nord said. "This is a new tradition, to call or come together."

After welcoming the students and leading them in prayer, Associated Student Body president Cecilee Russell spoke for several minutes on the value of enjoying the here and now, instead of worrying about the future.

"We set aside the should haves and could haves, the ifs and whens, and own the now of Corban University," she said.

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Corban University junior Carley Davis celebrates with faculty during the first day of classes at the end of a convocation ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014, in Salem, Ore. ASHLEY SMITH / STATESMAN JOURNAL

Corban University junior Sam Belleque plays a shofar, an ancient musical instrument made of a horn, on top of the administrative building at the school during a convocation ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014, in Salem, Ore. ASHLEY SMITH / STATESMAN JOURNAL

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Featured prominently in the convocation was each of the class pledges. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and even the faculty in turn each stood for the recitation of each class's pledge. While all a little different, the pledges featured similar themes: Academic responsibility, leadership, remembering the privilege of college, being role models and looking to God.

After each pledge, the group en masse chanted: "Corban!" to show their agreement. And as each class stood, the chants grew louder. The seniors roared their agreement to great cheers and applause.

At the end of the ceremony and once the faculty had recessed out to the sounds of the bagpipes, students filed out of the chapel to head directly to the beginning of classes at 11 a.m.

And it did mirror graduation. Students hugged their favorite faculty members in greeting; they paused to say hello to old friends and snap pictures. Faculty applauded the students as they walked into the bright sunshine, the atmosphere festive and celebratory of the launch of a school year.

At the end of the ceremony, Wood said it had gone "better than I hoped for."

"We really wanted to make it Corban," she said. "And by that, we wanted it to represent Corban and our mission. That means community and infusing our faith and a commitment to academic excellence. Our goal was to blend academics and our faith into one."

She said the convocation ceremony would absolutely become a beginning-of-the-year tradition for the university.

"The students were shocked!" she said. "We intentionally teased the students with a little mystery and really created a buzz in the last couple of days, and their response was terrific. Hands down, we've made a commitment, this will be a tradition for Corban."